Mr CoCo mulch is compressed and will expand up to more than 50Litres. (about 1 wheel barrow load) it will absorb about 12 litres of water as it expands and hydrates. This means that each block used as a mulch in the garden has a reservoir of 12 litres of water! One of the properties of coir is that it holds water really well—so when its hot and dry there is extra water in store for your plants, and as it evaporates it helps keep the soil cool. So whenever there is a shower of rain, an irrigation or even heavy dew this reservoir is topped up afresh. This moisture also stops the mulch from blowing around.

Mr Coco mulch is 100% natural plant material. It comes from the outer husk of the coconut which is grown in large plantations inland, away from the sea, in Sri Lanka. The coconuts are grown for the oil and coconut meat so this is utilising the waste product making it 100% sustainable.

The fibres in Mr CoCo mulch are high in lignin and carbon—this means it takes a long time to breakdown and that the Mr CoCo mulch will last longer in your garden. Coir will break down 4-5 times more slowly than bark.

Getting the most out of Mr CoCo Coir

How to Hydrate

1 block will cover approximately 1 M² in your garden. So one option is to spread the blocks in the garden where you want to place the mulch. Then let the blocks hydrate naturally over a few days with rain, sprinklers or the hose. You need to be patient as it will take some time for the blocks to be fully hydrated so they crumble easily and can be spread out.

The other method is to place the block in a wheelbarrow or large bin (like a fish bin) that has greater than 50l capacity. Add the water (around 12 Litres (perhaps more is required) gradually, every 10 minutes or so, pouring the water over the top of the block.

Spread Mulch

Spread the Mr CoCo mulch at a minimum depth of 50mm. Mulches can be as deep as 100mm. Its a good idea to top up the mulch with freshly hydrated chip every 12 months or so, to keep it tidy and covers windblown or bird dropped seeds.

Prepare the ground before spreading Mulch

Before applying a mulch is a good time to add fertiliser for your plants. Apply the appropriate fertiliser. For all but acid loving plants some lime and/or dolomite is good to apply. Also apply appropriate rates of NPK fertiliser. This can be organic like sheep pallets or blood and bone, or appropriate control release fertiliser for the plants e.g. Citrus fertiliser for citrus, shrub and tree, acid loving etc.

After applying any fertiliser a base can be laid down as with any mulch, using a layer of newspaper, cardboard, water pervious woven weed mat or even old carpet will help suppress weed growth and retain moisture. Spread the Mr CoCo mulch evenly on top of the ‘base layer’.